Space Brief 18 Apr 2025
Today's highlights include a Minotaur IV launch of U.S. spy satellites, Rocket Lab's new defense contracts, and the unveiling of Space Force's warfighting framework. Plus, the Satellite Spotlight dives into METEOR 3-1.
USA 61 (20691)
COSPAR: 1990-050C | Alt Name: USA 61
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
June 8, 1990
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC41
Launch Vehicle
Titan 405A
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
20691
International Designator
1990-050C
Epoch
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:59:51 GMT
Apogee
Calculating...
Perigee
Calculating...
Inclination
63.29°
Right Ascension
165.89°
Eccentricity
Calculating...
Argument of Perigee
85.50°
Period
105.66 min
Mean Motion
13.63 rev/day
Latitude
Calculating...
Longitude
Calculating...
Altitude
Calculating...
Velocity
Calculating...
Polar Plot
3D Visualization
Basic Satellite Info
Name
USA 61
Alternative Name
USA 61
Type
Payload
Status
Unknown
Owner
NRO/NRL
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Latest TLEs
1 20691U 90050C 26185.20823220 .00005992 00000-0 42599-3 0 9990
2 20691 63.2934 165.8866 0879984 85.4952 284.5954 13.62913882108622
Source: Celestrak
Summary
The satellite identified by NORAD_CAT_ID 20691 and OBJECT_ID 1990-050C is known as USA 61. It is a NOSS B SSU (Navy Ocean Surveillance Satellite) spacecraft, manufactured by NRL for the US government's NRO/NRL, with its primary mission focused on ocean surveillance and ELINT (Electronic Intelligence). Launched from AFETR on June 8, 1990, using the Titan 405A launch vehicle from LC41, this satellite has dimensions of 1 meter in length and diameter, and a span of 10 meters. The dry mass is recorded as 400 kilograms, equivalent to its launch mass. Its shape consists of a box with an antenna extension. Additional technical details such as motor type, power supply specifics, and transmitter frequencies are not provided.
Physical Characteristics
Length
1
Diameter
1
Span
10
Dry Mass
400
Launch Mass
400
Shape
Box + Ant
Radar Cross Section
Unknown
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Improved PARCAE 1 SSU-2
Purpose
Ocean Surveillance, ELINT
Mission
Ocean Surveillance, ELINT
Manufacturer
Naval Research Laboratory
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
NOSS B SSU
Configuration
?
Motor
?
Equipment
?
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Map
Next Pass
Azimuth Elevation Time (Local)
Start Azimuth
Max Elevation
Stop Azimuth
Time Until
Pass Duration
Satellite Articles
View All Posts »Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
SpaceX Hits 10,000 Starlink Satellites in Orbit | KeepTrack Space Brief
SpaceX surpassed 10,000 simultaneous Starlink satellites in orbit after Starlink 17-24 deployed 25 satellites from California. Milestone reached in under 7 years.
EUTELSAT 172B
Europe's first high-power all-electric telecom satellite doesn't just sit above the Pacific - it got there on robotic arms and plasma thrusters, broke records doing it, and now keeps your airplane Wi-Fi running between LA and Tokyo.
X Report 28 Apr 2025
SpaceX marks a milestone with its 250th Starlink mission, continuing to expand its broadband satellite network.
The Day Soviet Women Reached for the Stars
Sixty-three years ago, the Soviet Union selected the world's first female cosmonaut training group, launching a new era in human spaceflight that would transform our understanding of gender equality in space exploration
X Report 8 Oct 2025
SpaceX successfully launched 28 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, marking significant advancements in their deployment and operational capabilities.
GPS III SV10 | The Last of Its Kind, and the First of What Comes Next
On April 21, 2026, the tenth and final GPS Block III satellite reached medium Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. Named for Hedy Lamarr, the actress whose 1942 frequency-hopping patent underpins modern GPS, SV10 closes a procurement that took eight years to deliver hardware and opens the optical-crosslink era that will define the constellation's next decade.
Space Brief 21 Apr 2025
Today's briefing highlights SpaceX's recent launch of spy satellites, a US Space Force contract for deep space tracking, and advancements in quantum communications in space.